


A New Friend

by blackjacktheboss



Series: mob au [8]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:01:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26379994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackjacktheboss/pseuds/blackjacktheboss
Series: mob au [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1102638
Comments: 13
Kudos: 238





	A New Friend

Annabeth skips down the long hallway of the Pallas mansion, running her small hand along the smooth white walls as she goes. The buckles of her overalls jingle with every hop and Annabeth smiles at the sound, the click-clacks bringing her a strange kind of comfort. She jumps to a halt in front of a large brown door that marks the entrance to her mother’s study, an ornately carved owl looking down at her. 

_ Do you know the answer, child? _ she imagines it asking her in a deep, knowing voice.

“Wisdom,” she replies out loud, flinching when the door actually begins to creak open. 

“Oh, hello there, little one,” a smooth voice speaks. 

Annabeth looks up and sees a man with slicked back salt-and-pepper hair in a dark suit looking down at her. He smiles in a way that reminds Annabeth of the mischievous elves she has read about in Chiron’s fancy fairytale books, and she tilts her head as she tries to mimic the way her mother watches people. 

“You must be Annabeth,” he says. 

Annabeth nods. “Mhmm.” 

The man crouches down so he is eye level with her and holds out a hand. “I’m Mr. Hermes. It’s very nice to meet you.” 

She cautiously takes his hand and shakes it twice, just as her mother does. “Nice to meet you too, Mr. Hermes.” Her eyes linger on his gold lapel pin, the figure of two snakes wrapped around a staff with wings at the top, entrancing her. She reaches out and runs a finger over its cool surface. “Neat.” 

“Thanks, kid.” 

“What’s it mean?” she asks. 

“My brother gave it to me a long time ago,” Mr. Hermes says, looking down at his pin. “It reminds me… that I always have a friend.”

“I like that it’s shiny,” she says with a small smile. 

“I like that it’s shiny too,” Mr. Hermes says. He stands as Annabeth’s mother appears in the doorway behind him. “Nice kid you’ve got here.” 

Athena looks down at Annabeth, the hint of a smile on her lips. “Don’t I know it.”

Mr. Hermes holds his hand out to Athena and bows slightly. “A pleasure as always, Ms. Pallas.” 

“Give my best to your boys,” Athena says, shaking his hand. 

“I will, thank you. Maybe they could play with Annabeth here sometime.” Mr. Hermes winks at Annabeth. “See you around, kid.” 

“Bye,” she says with a wave.

Annabeth and Athena watch the man go, escorted by two of their security guards. 

“Speaking of playing,” Athena says, placing a hand on Annabeth’s head. “I believe I promised someone a trip to the park.” 

Annabeth lights up and can’t stop herself from jumping in place, the excitement threatening to burst out of her. “I’ll go put my shoes on!” 

Soon, Annabeth is walking hand in hand with her mother down the lush green hillside that leads to her favorite park while every part of her buzzes with happiness. 

Annabeth has only lived with her mother full-time for a few months, but they have been the best months of Annabeth’s life. She used to lay in her room and dream about Athena for hours on end, imagining her smile and the way her hair must fall in her face, and above all else, Annabeth dreamed of making her proud. Most of her days are spent with her tutor Chiron learning languages and world history and plenty more that leaves her seven-year-old head spinning sometimes. It’s a rare occasion when she’s afforded the luxury of an outing, and even rarer still when her mother accompanies her on said outing, making this trip all the more special. 

As the play structure, which is shaped like a pirate ship, comes into view, Annabeth stops in her tracks, noticing the figure of a kid standing at the top of the slide. “Mom, look,” she says, tugging on Athena’s hand. 

Athena doesn’t flinch, tugging Annabeth along as she keeps walking. “This is part of the plan,” she says plainly. 

Annabeth is skeptical, but follows without protest. 

“Monica,” Athena says with a happiness in her voice that Annabeth hasn’t heard before. “It’s so good to see you.” 

“It’s been too long, Athena,” the woman says, kissing Athena on the cheek. She turns to Annabeth, her smile warm and comforting. “You must be Annabeth.” 

Annabeth nods and, as taught, holds out a hand to introduce herself. “Nice to meet you.” 

Monica laughs as she takes Annabeth’s hand. “The pleasure is all mine. Athena, she’s even more gorgeous than you said.” 

The boy who had been at the slide jogs up and stands next to Monica, half hiding behind her. “Hi Ms. Athena,” he says shyly. 

“Hello, Charles. It’s good to see you. This is my daughter, Annabeth,” Athena says. 

Charles waves. “Hi.” 

“Hello,” Annabeth says, waving back. 

The four of them stand in silence for several moments before Annabeth can’t stop herself any longer. 

She tugs on her mother’s hand. “Can I go play now?” 

Athena raises an eyebrow, silently challenging Annabeth to self correct. 

Annabeth chews on her lip for a moment before the proverbial light bulb goes off in her mind. “May I please go play now?” 

Athena smiles. “Have fun.” 

Without a second thought, Annabeth makes a break for the play structure, her mind already sailing along a far away ocean as waves crash all around her and an enemy approaches. 

“Can I play with you?” 

Annabeth turns around and finds Charles looking at her with kind eyes. “Sure,” she says with a shrug, a little unsure of how to bring this stranger into her world of pretend. “Do you wanna be first mate?”

“Who’s the captain?” he asks. 

“I am,” she says matter of factly. For a second, she panics thinking she’s being too bossy, like all the kids she used to go to school with told her she was, and that maybe Charles won’t want to play with her anymore. 

But then, he smiles. 

“What’s a first mate do?” 

“It means you’re my partner,” she says confidently, thinking back to some of the pirate stories Chiron has told her. “We run the ship together and defend each other to the death.” 

“Woah,” he says, his eyes big. “Cool.” 

Annabeth adjusts her imaginary hat, her eyes squinting as she looks off into the horizon. “English ships are approaching from the starboard side, we have to get the canons ready!” 

Charles salutes her. “You got it, boss!” 

Forty-five minutes later the crew of The Gorgon, the most feared pirate ship in the seven seas, sails victorious through the wreckage of Her Majesty’s Royal Navy. Annabeth and Charles sit on the deck of their ship breathing heavily with smiles plastered on their faces, silly little laughs escaping each of them every few minutes. 

“Annabeth,” Athena calls. “Time to go.” 

“Coming, mom!” 

“You’re a good captain,” Charles says as he begins to climb down the structure after Annabeth. 

“Thanks,” Annabeth says, feeling shy suddenly. “You’re a really good first mate.” 

“Thanks,” he says, and she can hear the smile in his voice. 

“Did you kids have fun?” Monica asks, placing a hand on Charles’s head affectionately. 

“Lots!” Charles answers. 

Athena holds Annabeth’s face in her hand, scrunching her nose up at her daughter. “Someone looks ready for dinner and a bath.” 

“Moooom,” Annabeth groans. 

Athena chuckles. “Monica, you and Charles will have to come over for dinner soon.” 

“That sounds lovely,” Monica replies. “And we’ll have to have another park date too.”

“Absolutely,” Athena agrees. 

“Oh!” Monica says with a start. “Let me get a picture of you kids before we go.” 

Charles and Annabeth acquiesce, posing side by side in front of the play structure with their hands shoved into their pockets, their faces all closed mouthed smiles and crinkled eyes. 

“Perfect,” Monica says as she snaps the photo. 

Annabeth turns to Charles, her shoulders back and face serious as she holds her hand out to him for a shake. “It was lovely to meet you, Charles.” 

Charles laughs as he takes her hand. “You’re weird.” 

Annabeth frowns as she drops her hand. 

“I mean it in a good way,” Charles corrects, his eyes softening. “Weird people make the best friends, I think.” 

“Friends?” Annabeth repeats, the word something foreign and scary on her tongue. 

“See you later, Annabeth,” Charles says and walks off with his mother who waves goodbye to Annabeth.

As Annabeth and her mother walk back up to their car where Argus awaits, Annabeth can’t help but smile from ear to ear. “Mommy, I made a friend today.”

Athena smiles down at her. “That you did, my love. And I’m certain you two will be friends for a long while.” 

* * *

Painting the night sky onto the ceiling of her bedroom had started as a rebellious moment for Annabeth as she sought out to prove to Chiron that she could in fact paint the constellations of the northern hemisphere to scale. As she lies on the floor staring up at her work, which she is quite proud of actually, it dawns on her that Chiron has achieved his aim: teaching her art, astronomy, and math all in one go. She rolls her eyes at herself, wondering why she thought she had the upper hand over a man who had first tutored Athena in her youth. 

“What are we looking at?” 

Annabeth turns her head towards the door and sees Charles walking towards her, looking dapper in his private school uniform. As he gets close, he lowers himself onto the floor next to Annabeth so they are shoulder to shoulder. 

“I painted the constellations,” she says, looking up at the stars that create Perseus. 

“Of course you did,” he replies with a laugh. “Looks pretty good.” 

“Thanks,” she says with the tilt of her head. “I think Cassiopeia is a little off but I can’t focus on it anymore.” 

“I noticed that too,” Charles says sarcastically. “Definitely gonna have to do better.” 

Annabeth nudges Charles in the shoulder. “How was school, you jerk?”

“Oh you know, a snide comment from a teacher here, a shove into a locker from a Senator’s son there. The usual.” 

Annabeth furrows her brow, turning to her friend. “Do these people know your mom is the best trauma surgeon on the East coast?” 

Charles shrugs. “None of that matters to them.” 

“Why not?” 

“Because I’m Black. And to them, that’ll always make me an outsider, no matter what my mom or I accomplish. Just how it is.” 

Annabeth huffs and looks back up. “That’s stupid.” 

“You’re telling me.” 

“Why don’t you just beat them up? That’ll make them shut up.” 

Charles belly laughs, making Annabeth smile.

“I’m serious,” she adds.

“I know you are, boss, and I appreciate it. But they’re not worth it. Two more years and I’m out of there. I can survive.” 

“Maybe I’ll have mom send me there and then I’ll beat them up for you.” 

“I think you forget you’re twelve sometimes,” he says with a smile. 

“Almost thirteen, thank you very much,” she says crossing her arms. 

“I’ll admit, the idea of you beating up the track-star son of Senator Williams is pretty sweet.” 

“I’m sure I could take him.” 

They laugh and look back up at the stars that span the ceiling and Annabeth’s eyes are drawn back to Perseus. 

“Medusa’s the one who should’ve gotten a constellation,” she says plainly. 

“Oh yeah?” Charles asks. “Why’s that?” 

“It’s like you and those kids,” she says like it’s obvious. 

“I don’t get it,” he says confused. 

“Chiron is always telling me that we have to remember  _ who _ is telling the story. Obviously a hero is gonna make themselves sound good. I mean, if you cut a woman’s head off, would you ever say she was something other than a monster?”

“Probably not,” Charles concedes. 

“Exactly,” Annabeth says, satisfied. “Which is why Medusa should be the one in the stars, not some dumb boy with a sword. What’s a hero without their monster?” 

“Who’s your monster?” 

“I  _ am _ the monster.” 

It’s Charles’s turn to rolls his eyes. “Okay, Hot Topic.” 

She sticks her tongue out at him. “Whatever.” 

“I do have a question though,” he says. 

“Proceed.” 

“Can you make wishes on these stars?” 

Annabeth squints up at Polaris, the brightest star in Ursa Minor, and thinks she should have used more glitter, or maybe a gemstone. “I guess,” she shrugs. 

“Well, if you could, what would you wish for?” Charles asks. 

Annabeth looks at her friend then back to her art project. “I don’t need anything.” 

“C’mon, Annabeth, it’s a wish! It’s not about needing. It can be the most ridiculous thing in the world.” 

“I’ve got a nice house, and I’ve got you. What else could I want?” 

Annabeth can feel Charles’s turned head looking at her intently. “Are you getting soft on me, boss?” 

She shoves him away as she stifles a laugh. “Shut up! I’m just saying I’ve got everything.” 

“Well,” Charles says, straightening his tie. “I’ve got what I need, too. Not that you asked me.” 

Annabeth sits up abruptly. “Actually, I do have a wish.” 

Charles sits up and adjusts his jacket. “Okay, what is it?” 

Annabeth slams her eyes shut and folds her hands in her lap. “I wish…. For my best friend to go down to the kitchen and bring back the plate of cookies that Ms. H made.” 

Without missing a beat, Charles pushes her over. “I hate you.” 

“You love me!” she calls after him, giggling as he flips her the finger and turns the corner. “He loves me,” she says to herself, dropping back to the floor and smiling at the perpetual night sky that shines above her. 

* * *

The service was beautiful. Athena had spared no expense when planning her friend’s funeral, from the endless sea of white lilies which were Monica’s favorite flowers, to the high-end buffet that takes up the back wall of the reception hall. 

Aside from his eulogy, Charles hasn’t spoken a word all day. He stands tall in his perfectly tailored black suit with a blank expression as the day winds down and the last few attendees give him their condolences. Annabeth watches him intently, noticing his carefully maintained posture to his perfectly polished gold cufflinks, which had belonged to his father before him, looking for any warning that the dam of his emotions might break. Athena stands at his side, stoic and unmoved, and while Annabeth silently chides her mother for always being so cold, she also thinks it might be what Charles needs right now. 

As the final guest shakes Charles’s hand, Annabeth sees the look in his eyes shift from being oh-so far away to being all too present in the moment. Without hesitation, Annabeth makes her way through the dwindling crowd until she reaches her friend, placing a hand on his arm and giving it a comforting squeeze. 

“Charles, will you come get some air with me?” she asks. 

Charles looks to Athena who simply nods, giving her silent permission. Annabeth quickly leads her friend back through the crowd and through the reception hall’s front door until they are across the parking lot and under an elm tree with large, sweeping branches that protect them from the late summer sun. 

“What brings you two out here?” a smooth voice says from just around the tree. 

Annabeth and Charles turn to see Mr. Hermes finishing a cigarette as he rounds the tree trunk. 

“Oh, hi, Mr. Hermes. We just needed some air,” Annabeth says without pretense. 

The older man with his signature slicked back hair drops the butt of his cigarette, squashing it in the asphalt beneath his feet. He stands with his shoulders back and holds out a hand to Charles. “She was a great woman, and she was always so proud of you,” he says. 

Annabeth watches as Charles stifles his breath and takes the man’s hand, holding it firmly in place as he tries to stay composed. “Thank you, sir,” he manages to squeak. 

Mr. Hermes smiles sympathetically. “You two take care of each other, alright?” 

Annabeth and Charles nod in unison and watch as Athena’s favorite associate walks back towards the event. 

“I need to get out of here,” Charles said, resting his hands on top of his head. “I feel like I’m gonna explode.” 

His eyes are full of tears and Annabeth has never seen him look so overwhelmed. She scans the parking lot, her mouth breaking into a grin when she spots a black Bugatti with a customized gold insignia that she knows all too well on the trunk. 

“C’mon,” she says, leading Charles to the car by his sleeve. 

“What the hell are you doing?” he asks in a stage whisper. 

“You said you need to get out of here, and I’m getting us a ride.” 

“By stealing a car?” 

Annabeth rolls her eyes. “Mr. Hermes always leaves the keys in his car, so technically it’s not stealing. We’re borrowing.” 

“One, I don’t think that’s true at all. And two, how the hell do you know that?” Charles asks. 

“Travis told me,” Annabeth answers with a shit-eating grin. 

“Of course he did.” 

“Do you wanna get out of here, or not?” Annabeth asks. 

Charles puts his hands on his hips. “You take the whole crazy white girl thing a little far.” 

“Sue me.” 

They get into the car and as Annabeth turns the key in the ignition, Charles turns to her. “Wait, why do you get to drive? You’re fourteen.” 

“It was my plan, so I get dibs. Duh.” 

Charles squints at her skeptically, but relents. “Fine,” he says, putting on his seat belt. “But then I get a turn.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” she says, smiling as she turns the key and feels the car come to life. “Let’s do this.” 

The sun is setting when Annabeth pulls the car into a popular viewpoint that looks down on all of Olympic Harbor. The sky is shifting from soft shades of orange and pink to green and blue as stars begin to make their appearances. 

“My mom loves sunsets,” Charles says, his voice sounding small and fragile. “Or, loved… I guess.” 

Annabeth’s heart breaks for him, and she is at a complete loss for words. 

“I think she’s somewhere nice, though,” he continues, his eyes trained on the horizon. 

“I think so too,” is all she can think to say. 

Charles turns to her and for a split second, she fears she’s said the wrong thing. 

But then, he smiles. 

“How much trouble do you think we’re gonna be in when we go back?” he asks. “Be honest.” 

Annabeth bites her bottom lip as she pictures her mother’s face. “Hard to say. But I think Mr. Hermes will find it funny.” 

“You know, when I agreed to be your first mate that day at the park, I didn’t realize it was a life sentence.” 

“Chump,” she teases. “Any self respecting pirate knows that every deal is a blood pact.” 

* * *

Annabeth hurries her way into her mother’s study, carefully shutting the door and resting her forehead against its coolness. She takes a deep breath as the feeling grounds her, the chatter of people filling her home completely blocked out so she has a moment to think. 

“Long day?” 

Annabeth startles, whipping around ready for a fight but immediately relaxing when it is Mr. Hermes she sees, sitting near the fireplace with a glass of something in hand. 

“You could say that. Bourbon or whiskey?” she asks. 

Mr. Hermes gestures to the drink cart on the other side of the room. “Bourbon. Your mother always did have the best taste.” 

Annabeth nods as she walks over to pour herself a glass, slipping her heels off and melting into her mother’s favorite brown leather chair. “This room is supposed to be off limits.” 

Mr. Hermes smirks as he takes a sip of his drink. “I have my ways. Besides, your mother and I had our best conversations in this room. It’s only right that this be the place where I mourn her.” 

Annabeth looks around the room, noticing every detail her mother had meticulously picked. “If that’s where you’re supposed to mourn for someone, I don’t know that I have anywhere to mourn my mother.” 

Mr. Hermes tilts his head sympathetically. 

Annabeth knocks her drink back, running her bottom lip between her teeth to savor the lingering hint of vanilla. “I didn’t know her,” she says sadly. 

“Sure you did,” Mr. Hermes says. 

“Not really. Not in any way that matters.” 

Mr. Hermes sets his glass down on the small table in front of him and leans forward, folding his hands in his lap. “You knew her in the only ways that matter. Being your mother was her greatest pride.” 

“Could’ve fooled me,” she says dismissively. 

“Lord knows she was not an easy woman to understand or be around, but wasn’t that part of her magic?” he asks, his eyes bright as he seems to look just past Annabeth. As if her mother’s ghost were still sitting at her desk giving out orders. “She was unattainable and ferocious and dangerously intelligent. I see so much of her in you.” 

For the first time all day, tears run down Annabeth’s face. “I loved her so much.” 

“And she loved you the same,” Mr. Hermes says, scooting closer with desperate eyes. “Athena had never planned to have kids. Bringing a child into this life… it can weigh on a person. And your mother bore that weight the only way she knew how, good, bad or in between.” 

“My father was supposed to come today,” Annabeth says without looking up. “The other person who never planned to have kids, or least any kids like me.” 

“May I be frank?” Mr. Hermes asks. 

Annabeth nods. 

“Fuck that guy.” 

Annabeth laughs, perhaps for the first time in days, feeling lighter as she does so. “You make a compelling argument.” 

“Your father is a coward who didn’t know how to step up and be there for you. If nothing else, your mother at least showed up.” 

“Sometimes I think I was a mistake to her,” she admits. 

Mr. Hermes shakes his head. “Not in the least. You were the only thing in her life she didn’t plan for, and that made you all the more special to her. Trust me.” 

Annabeth watches Mr. Hermes, with his impeccably slicked back hair, his signature dark suit with the usual gold pendant on the lapel, and thinks of the kindness he has always shown her. The men in her mother’s world are often cruel and cold, but not Mr. Hermes. She wonders how he’s managed that. She hopes she can do the same. 

“I do,” she says with a tight lipped smile. “Just like mom did.” 

There’s a quick knock on the door and then Charles is slipping into the room, rushing to shut the door behind him as he relaxes against it. 

“White people are so weird,” he says.

“Especially the rich ones,” Mr. Hermes says as he raises his glass. 

“How long until it’s polite to ask people to leave?” Charles asks with pleading eyes as he sits across from Mr. Hermes. “It’s been a long day.” 

Mr. Hermes stands, slamming the rest of his bourbon and buttoning up his suit jacket. “I’m on it,” he says confidently. 

“Are you sure?” Annabeth asks. 

“No trouble at all,” he assures her. “I’ll have the boys help. Just... do me a favor.” 

Annabeth and Charles look at each other, confused, before looking back at him. 

“Don’t  _ borrow _ my car while I’m gone.” 

Annabeth covers her mouth as she tries and fails to stifle her laugh. 

“We promise we won’t,” Charles says with a head shake. 

He winks and leaves them as a comfortable silence settles in the room. 

“You look very handsome in your suit,” Annabeth comments as she gets up to pour herself another drink. “Is that the one she had made for you last year?” 

“Yeah,” he says. “Still can’t believe it has a gold thread running through it.” 

Annabeth hands him a glass and settles back into her chair. “Only the best for Athena Pallas’s favorite adopted son.” 

“ _ Only _ adopted son,” he corrects. “And it was never official.” 

Annabeth sighs, rising from her seat again and retrieving a small stack of papers from atop her mother’s desk. She quickly turns back and hands them to Charles. He looks confused as he begins to read them, his eyes swelling with tears as he continues. 

“She wanted it to be official?” 

“It was supposed to be a surprise,” Annabeth says softly. “She was gonna wait until your mom’s anniversary to ask if it would be okay with you.” 

Charles wipes the tears from his eyes and exhales a long breath. “She was something else, wasn’t she?” 

“She sure was,” Annabeth says. 

“You know… everyone out there thinks she left the business to you,” he says as he takes the first sip of his drink. 

Annabeth looks into her own drink and shakes her head. “I don’t know why they would think that when you’re the one she taught everything to at the end. I could barely hold her attention for more than five minutes. No, I’m meant to be your number two.” 

Charles sets his drink down and reaches into the inside pocket of his suit jacket, pulling out what looks like a folded white piece of paper. He opens it up, revealing it to be the photo the two of them had taken so many years ago at the park the day they met. 

He flips the picture over and clears his throat. “Charles, since the day your mother and I introduced the two of you, you have been the perfect first mate to my daughter. The life we lead is uncertain, and I only hope that you will continue to stand by her side as Annabeth navigates the treacherous sea of being in charge. I can’t think of a better team to handle the job. Athena.” 

“How long have you had that?” Annabeth asks as more tears gather in the corners of her eyes.

“Since my high school graduation,” he answers, avoiding eye contact. “I’ve always known it would be you, Annabeth. I know it’s been hard for you lately feeling like… like I was her favorite, but all she was teaching me was all the ways I have to keep you safe. And I promised her I would do that. I’m promising  _ you _ that I’ll do that until my dying breath.” 

The tears flow freely now down Annabeth’s cheeks as she tries to make sense of everything Charles has shared with her. A mix of guilt over the jealousy she has felt the past few months, anger at her mother for making her feel this way, and pure overwhelming sadness for having lost her mother, the person she has most looked up to her entire life. This hurricane of emotions builds in her chest, threatening to break free, but then she looks up and sees that Charles is smiling. 

It is small, but as warm as an ember. He looks at her with an affection that she doesn’t understand, as she has always been nothing but a pain to him. She spent their early years following him around like a puppy, until they grew into partners in crime, but even then her mercurial moods kept their relationship on a constant rollercoaster that she was sure would send him flying away. 

And yet, he is still here. 

And perhaps, he always will be. 

“What are you smiling for?” she finally asks. 

“Because,” he says, his smile growing. “You’re the best thing my mom ever gave me.” 

“You’re so corny,” she says with an eye roll as she wipes at her tears, but they both know she’s grateful for it. 

“I love you, too.” 

* * *

Charles sits across from detectives Grace and Ramirez with a flat expression and his arms crossed, refusing to say a word. 

“This is a one time deal, Mr. Beckendorf,” Reyna says as she slides a bundle of papers across the table. 

Jason leads forward, his hands folded on the cold table. “Listen, Charles, we know this must be hard for you. The Pallas family helped you when your mother got sick, took you in after she died. But I think we both know Annabeth Chase is not your friend.” 

“People like that don’t have real friends,” Reyna adds. “They can’t.” 

Charles shifts uncomfortably, displaying a sense of nervousness. 

“These people never cared about you, Charles,” Jason continues. “You’re just another pawn to her, and as soon as she’s done with you, you’ll be right back here with us. Only we’ll have a lot more evidence and the plea deal won’t be nearly as generous.” 

Charles looks away, a single tear falling down his face. “She has people everywhere.” 

“We can protect you,” Jason says.

“How?” he asks, his voice shaky. 

“We have connections at the federal level,” Reyna assures him. “We can put you in WITSEC until the trial, make sure she can’t hurt you.” 

Charles swallows hard and wipes the tear from his face, moving his chair in closer to the table. “What do you want to know?” he says softly. 

Jason smiles conspiratorially, opening up the file that sits in front of him. “Let’s start with the warehouse fires.” 

Charles looks at Jason, but the look in his eye changes and Jason notices the shift. 

“Is that really all it takes?” Charles says smugly as he sits back in his chair. “I’ll be honest, detective, I expected you to be a way harder sell.” 

Jason clenches his jaw. “You were playing us.” 

“You cocky son of a bitch,” Reyna growls. 

“Not cocky,” Charles corrects. “Just the correct level of confident.” 

“Annabeth must be running out of orders to give you if you’re bored enough to come down here just to mess with us,” Jason says, doing his best to keep his voice calm. 

“While we’re on the topic,” Reyna says. “Isn’t your whole arrangement a bit  _ Driving Miss Daisy _ ?” 

Charles laughs. “Says the brown cop.” 

“Why did you come here?” Jason asks. “You must want something.” 

Charles looks at Jason, his eyes unforgiving. “I’m here to tell you that keeping up this crusade against Annabeth is a bad idea.” 

“That a threat?” Jason asks. 

“Just some useful knowledge I thought I would share,” Charles says with a shrug. “I’d hate for someone to challenge the loyalty of the people around Annabeth and learn the hard way that it’s unwavering.” 

“Unfortunately, my partner and I are slow learners. So it’s looking like it’s gonna have to be the hard way,” Jason says with a measured anger. 

“Fine,” Charles says as he stands. “But it’s like you said detective Grace, the Pallas family helped my mother when she was sick and then they took me in after she died. If you’re gonna come for her, you’re gonna have to go through me first.” 

Without another word, Charles exits the interview room and strolls out of the Olympic Harbor Police Department as calmly as he had walked in. He gets into his car, turns the ignition and checks the rearview mirror, where a pair of gray eyes are staring back at him. 

“Have fun?” Annabeth asks. 

“Just a little,” he says with a playful grin. “I really had them for a minute.” 

“Yeah?” she says. “Guess those two summers of acting camp your mom made you go to finally paid off.” 

Charles laughs as he puts the car in drive and pulls into the street. “She did always tell me I could’ve been the next Sidney Poitier.” 

Annabeth laughs and looks out the window, watching the city flash by. “Did you get a sense of where their investigation is at?” 

Charles glances at the rearview mirror then back at the road. “He wanted to know about the warehouse fires.”

“Hm,” she says as she chews on the tip of her nail. “So he is building a case.” 

“Trying to,” Charles says. He brings the car to a stop at a red light, and turns his head to meet Annabeth’s eyes. “But like I told him, he’s gonna have to go through me to get to you.” 

Annabeth smiles and her friends turns to continue their drive. “My hero,” she says. 

“I think you mean monster,” he corrects with a smile. 

“Of course. How could I forget.” 

* * *

Annabeth taps her manicure against her desk as she stares at the old framed photo of her and Charles the first day they met, a small smile on her lips. 

“Reminiscing?” Charles asks from the other side of her desk. 

Annabeth sits back in her chair, folding her hands across her stomach. “Maybe a little. I mean, you’re gonna be a dad.” 

Charles laughs leaning back in his chair as he clasps his fingers at the back of his head. “And you’re gonna be a mom. It’s almost too much to think about.” 

“You’re the first real friend I ever had, Charles,” Annabeth says fondly. “I don’t know where I’d be without you.” 

“Percy really has made you soft,” Charles teases, but his voice is soft and fragile. 

“Yeah, well… maybe that’s not such a bad thing.” 

“When I met you that day, I had no idea you’d become…” Charles says, trailing off. 

“Become what?” Annabeth asks. “Such a pain in the ass?” 

Charles’s eyes lock with hers, the deep brown of his irises sparkling. “That you’d become my sister.” 

Annabeth feels her throat tighten and swallows hard, demanding the tears welling up stay put. “You could come with us, you know. The island is big enough for two new little families. We could all be safe.” 

Charles smiles, big and warm like he always does when he’s with Annabeth. “As tempting as that is, I couldn’t ask Silena to leave her dad. If my mom was still here and I had a kid on the way, I don’t think anything could make me leave.” 

Annabeth nods, disappointed but completely understanding. “I had to try.” 

“You always do. And I love you for it.” 

He leans forward, holding his hand out to Annabeth on the desk. She matches his movements and slides her hand into his, both of them trying to keep from crying. 

“Annabeth, you deserve all this happiness and so much more. I believe that more than I’ve ever believed anything.” 

“I could say the same to you,” she says, her voice cracking slightly as she squeezes his hand. “You’re the best big brother I never asked for.” 

Charles laughs, his hand still holding tight to hers. “I can’t wait until our kids get to play pirate ship together.” 

“Maybe your kid will get to be captain this time.” 

“Don’t start lying to me now, Chase.” 

Annabeth laughs. “You never know, Beckendorf. Miracles happen every day.” 

“They sure do.” 


End file.
